Women Human Rights Defenders
WHRDs are self-identified women and lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LBTQI) people and others who defend rights and are subject to gender-specific risks and threats due to their human rights work and/or as a direct consequence of their gender identity or sexual orientation.
WHRDs are subject to systematic violence and discrimination due to their identities and unyielding struggles for rights, equality and justice.
The WHRD Program collaborates with international and regional partners as well as the AWID membership to raise awareness about these risks and threats, advocate for feminist and holistic measures of protection and safety, and actively promote a culture of self-care and collective well being in our movements.
Risks and threats targeting WHRDs
WHRDs are exposed to the same types of risks that all other defenders who defend human rights, communities, and the environment face. However, they are also exposed to gender-based violence and gender-specific risks because they challenge existing gender norms within their communities and societies.
By defending rights, WHRDs are at risk of:
- Physical assault and death
- Intimidation and harassment, including in online spaces
- Judicial harassment and criminalization
- Burnout
A collaborative, holistic approach to safety
We work collaboratively with international and regional networks and our membership
- to raise awareness about human rights abuses and violations against WHRDs and the systemic violence and discrimination they experience
- to strengthen protection mechanisms and ensure more effective and timely responses to WHRDs at risk
We work to promote a holistic approach to protection which includes:
- emphasizing the importance of self-care and collective well being, and recognizing that what care and wellbeing mean may differ across cultures
- documenting the violations targeting WHRDs using a feminist intersectional perspective;
- promoting the social recognition and celebration of the work and resilience of WHRDs ; and
- building civic spaces that are conducive to dismantling structural inequalities without restrictions or obstacles
Our Actions
We aim to contribute to a safer world for WHRDs, their families and communities. We believe that action for rights and justice should not put WHRDs at risk; it should be appreciated and celebrated.
-
Promoting collaboration and coordination among human rights and women’s rights organizations at the international level to strengthen responses concerning safety and wellbeing of WHRDs.
-
Supporting regional networks of WHRDs and their organizations, such as the Mesoamerican Initiative for WHRDs and the WHRD Middle East and North Africa Coalition, in promoting and strengthening collective action for protection - emphasizing the establishment of solidarity and protection networks, the promotion of self-care, and advocacy and mobilization for the safety of WHRDs;
-
Increasing the visibility and recognition of WHRDs and their struggles, as well as the risks that they encounter by documenting the attacks that they face, and researching, producing, and disseminating information on their struggles, strategies, and challenges:
-
Mobilizing urgent responses of international solidarity for WHRDs at risk through our international and regional networks, and our active membership.
Related Content
Salome Chagelishvili
es una activista feminista de Tiflis, Georgia, dedicada a la justicia social y de género. Tiene una Maestría en estudios de género, y ha estado comprometida con movimientos feministas, queer y ecologistas desde hace nueve años, trabajando, entre otras problemáticas, sobre violencia de género, violencia doméstica, derechos y salud sexuales y reproductivos, derechos LGBTIQ, y seguridad y derechos holísticos y digitales, entre otros.
Desde 2014 trabaja activamente sobre asuntos de seguridad de activistas y defensoras de derechos humanos, ha organizado talleres sobre seguridad integrada y seguridad digital dirigidos específicamente a activistas de grupos desfavorecidos (personas queer, minorías étnicas y religiosas, mujeres y niñas rurales, etc.), y también para organizaciones feministas más grandes. Salome integra el «Independent Group of Feminists», una iniciativa informal, no jerárquica y no registrada que reúne feministas de distintos contextos de Georgia. Actualmente, trabaja con el Fondo de Mujeres de Georgia, que está comprometido con la construcción de movimientos feministas y de mujeres, brindando financiación feminista y alentando la filantropía feminista local.
Maria das Dores dos Santos Salvador
Clone of Sexting Like a Feminist: Humor in the Digital Feminist Revolution | Title Snippet
Sexting como feminista: el humor en la revolución digital feminista
por Chinelo Onwualu
Sushmita Banerjee
Sanyu Awori
Sanyu est une féministe panafricaine basée à Nairobi, au Kenya. Elle a passé la dernière décennie à soutenir les mouvements syndicaux, féministes et de défense des droits humains en faveur de la redevabilité des entreprises, de la justice économique et de la justice de genre. Elle a travaillé avec le Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, IWRAW Asia Pacific et la Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. Elle est titulaire d’un master en droits humains et d’une licence en droit de l’Université de Nottingham. Ses écrits ont été publiés dans le Business and Human Rights Journal, Human Rights Law Review, Open Global Rights, Open Democracy et d’autres encore. Pendant son temps libre, elle adore se promener en forêt et chasser les papillons.
Maricela Tombé
#2 - Sexting like a feminist Tweets Snippet AR
ما الضير في وصف مُتقَن للمشهديّة؟

للجنسانيّة تدفّقات متعدّدة ومتبدّلة كحال الغمد الملتهب بين فخذَيّ
Mariel Araya
Eni Lestari
Eni Lestari is an Indonesian domestic worker in Hong Kong and a migrant rights activist. After escaping her abusive employer, she transformed herself from a victim into an organizer for domestic workers in particular, and migrant workers in general. In 2000, she founded the Association of Indonesian Migrant Workers (ATKI-Hong Kong) which later expanded to Macau, Taiwan, and Indonesia. She was the coordinator and the one of the spokesperson of the Asia Migrants Coordinating Body (AMCB) - an alliance of grassroots migrants organisations in Hong Kong coming from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka. She is also the current chairperson of International Migrants Alliance, the first-ever global alliance of grassroots migrants, immigrants, refugees, and other displaced people.
She has held important positions in various organizations including and current Regional Council member of Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), former Board Member of Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), spokesperson for Network of Indonesian Migrant Workers (JBMI), advisor for ATKI-Hong Kong and Macau as well as the Association of Returned Migrants and Families in Indonesia (KABAR BUMI). She has been an active resource person in forums organized by academics, interfaith groups, civil societies, trade unions and many others at national, regional, and international arenas.
She has actively participated in United Nations assemblies/conferences on development and migrants’ rights and was chosen as a speaker at the opening of the UN General Assembly on Large Movement of Migrants and Refugees in 2016 in New York City, USA. She received nominations and awards such as Inspirational Women by BBC 100 Women, Public Hero Award by RCTI, Indonesian Club Award, and Non-Profit Leader of Women of Influence by American Chamber Hong Kong, and Changemaker of Cathay Pacific.
Yoryanis Isabel Bernal Varela
Contenido relacionado
El Heraldo: Mujer asesinada en Valledupar era líder wiwa, defensora de derechos humanos
Survival: Colombia: lideresa indígena de Sierra Nevada asesinada
Upasana Agarwal
Upasana Agarwal
Upasana est un·e illustrateurice et artiste non binaire basé·e à Kolkata, en Inde. Son travail explore l'identité et les récits personnels en partant d’un vestige visuel ou d’une preuve des contextes avec lesquels iel travaille. Iel est particulièrement attiré·e par les motifs qui, selon Upasana, communiquent des vérités complexes sur le passé, le présent et l'avenir. Quand Upasana n'est pas en train de dessiner, iel organise et dirige un centre d'art communautaire queer et trans dans la ville.
Derya Demirler
Caroline Sin
Caroline a travaillé régulièrement pour l'AWID, organisant auparavant les forums de 2005 et 2008 à Bangkok et au Cap, et à travers d'autres fonctions au sein de l'organisation. Avant de rejoindre l'AWID, elle a enseigné l'anglais en licence, puis a quitté l’université pour diriger le Reel Asian International festival de film de Toronto et travailler sur d'autres projets. Plus récemment, elle a occupé le poste de responsable des opérations chez Spring Strategies. En dehors du travail, Caroline se retrouve généralement dans son jardin, communiant avec ses chères plantes et faisant la paix avec les insectes et les rongeurs qui s’invitent.
Interesting References
Explore these projects put together by AWID teams to promote feminist advocacy and perspectives.
Montha Chukaew y Pranee Boonrat
Ekaete Judith Umoh
Ekaete Judith Umoh is an international disability rights advocate and inclusive development expert with astute analysis of issues regarding gender, disability and inclusive development. Her dream is to see increased visibility of women and girls with disabilities in the global feminist movement, as well as in all development efforts around the world.
Ekaete enjoys activism and politics, and went on to become the first elected female President of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) in Nigeria, where she led Organizations of Persons with disabilities in the struggle to sign the Nigerian Disability Bill into Law in 2019, after over 17 years of consistent advocacy. Thereafter, she joined CBM Global as a pioneer Country Director and led her team for about 3 years, contributing towards ending the circle of poverty and disability in Nigeria. Aside from disability activism, Ekaete has served as consultant to several development agencies, providing technical assistance on disability inclusion in program and project design.
Snippet Welcome Message_Fest (ES)
Mensaje de Bienvenida
Hakima Abbas, AWID
"Estamos utilizando las herramientas que tenemos para compartir nuestra resistencia, nuestras estrategias y continuar edificando nuestro poder para actuar y crear nuevos mundos valientes y justos"
Cao Shunli
Alejandra Morena
Alejandra is passionate about women’s rights and gender justice. She dreams of creating a world that centers care – for people and nature. As a feminist human rights expert, she’s worked at the intersections of gender, climate, social and economic justice at various international organizations. Her areas of expertise include knowledge building and co-creation, research, facilitation, and advocacy. She holds a MA in Human Rights from the University of Essex and has authored and co-developed many publications, including the article “Enraged: Women and Nature”. The campaign Feminist Activism Without Fear draws on interviews and research carried out by Alejandra.
Originally from Argentina, she has lived and worked in several countries in Europe and Latin America over the past two decades. Alejandra loves photography, the sea, baking with her daughter, and enjoying food from around the world. As a mother, she aims to be a cycle breaker. Alejandra draws energy and inspiration from the amazing women in her life, who are spread in many corners of the world.